Computerized generation of fabric cutting markers is well known in the art. Known systems include those offered by the assignee of the present invention, such as Gerber Garment Technology, Inc. (GGT) AccuMark marker making systems. In general, these known systems utilize a marker generated with a computer to optimize pattern piece density and thereby minimize the waste of fabric. However, fabrics which have a plaid, stripe, print or other regularly repeating fabric design are troublesome in that the clothing designer may require a specific alignment of the fabric design in several pattern pieces which lie adjacent to or on top of one another in the finished garment or other product. Consequently, the highest density of pattern pieces in the marker placed over the fabric, or otherwise used for cutting the fabric, is not necessarily the one which provides the specified fabric design alignment. Stated another way, markers which provide the specified fabric design alignment are generally of lower pattern piece density than comparable markers taking no account of the fabric design. This, in turn, results in a higher proportion of fabric wastage.
Many of the fabrics of concern, in particular those bearing a regularly repeated design other than stripes or plaids, are produced by a printing process wherein the design is printed on a suitable plain, unprinted fabric. Rotary plate and silk-screen printing, or variations thereof, have long been used for this purpose. It is now also possible to print on fabric using multiple, minute jets of appropriate inks, dyes or pigments. This process is analogous to the widely used ink-jet paper printing process. Like ink-jet printing on paper, jet printing on fabric is performed under the control of a computer.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for producing fabric pattern pieces, with the fabric of each pattern piece having a matched print design with the design features arranged in a predetermined manner with respect to the lines defining the boundary of the piece, while minimizing fabric wastage.